Portable hunter&#39;s shelter



April 24, 1962 R.

PORTABLE HUNTERS SHELTER Filed Feb. 8, 1960 l l l l l l 1 w. WILSON 3,030,972

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 II Al fia 14/ W//J0/7 INVENTOR.

Arrow/5v April 24, 1962 R. w. WILSON PORTABLE HUNTERS SHELTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 8, 1960 Ray 14 Wl/JOf) INVENTOR ATTO/EIVJIV United States Patent Cfifice 3,930,972 Patented Apr. 24, .1962

3,030,972 PORTABLE HUNTERS SHELTER Roy W. Wilson, 5600 Ridge flak Drive, Austin, Tex. Filed Feb. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 7,211 2 Claims. (Cl. 135-1) This invention relates to a portable shelter and more particularly to a tent-like shelter adapted to be suspended from a tree or other suitable support in a position above the ground and which may be folded into a compact bundle or package to facilitate transportation.

The invention finds particular application in connection with its use as a temporary shelter by hunters or others who customarily travel about in inaccessible and isolated locations where permanent shelters are not usually available and where any camping equipment for use in such locations must be carried by the users.

The invention has for an important object the provision of a portable shelter which may be suspended from a tree at a location above the ground, which is of light and strong construction and easily erected and taken down;

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable shelter adapted to be supported in a suspended or hanging position from a suitable support, and embodying a foldable base structure which forms a strong and rigid floor when unfolded, but which may be readily folded into a compact bundle which is easily carried about.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a portable shelter of the kind referred to, which is easily erected and suspended from a tree, and including means for securely holding the shelter against swinging or swaying movement when in its suspended condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable shelter of the type mentioned, having suspension means which is easily adjusted to accommodate the shelter to any convenient support, such as a tree, or the like to securely suspend the shelter at any desired location above the ground.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a portable shelter for use by hunters, which may be placed in a desirable elevated position above the ground at a location unlikely to alarm the game and at a vantage point from which the game may be easily observed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a portable hanging shelter which is of strong and rugged construction capable of supporting a number of persons and which affords ample protection from the weather.

The above and other important objects and advantages of the invention may best be understood from the following detailed description constituting a specification of the same when considered in conjunction with the annexed drawings wherein- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view on a somewhat reduced scale illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention and showing the same in erected and suspended position suspended from a tree;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view on a somewhat enlarged scale showing details of the construction of the invention as illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view on a somewhat enlarged scale illustrating the base and floor structure of the invention in its unfolded condition, and showing the arrangement of the parts of the same in the erected condition of the shelter;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view, on a somewhat larger scale showing the base and floor structure of the invention as illustrated in FIGURE 3 in a partly unfolded condition; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view on a greatly enlarged scale, showing details of construction of the base structure of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the

portable shelter of the invention, comprises a foldable base structure best illustrated in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, which is made up of a number of openwork beams iii,

' arranged in spaced apart parallel relation and connected together at their opposite ends by foldable links or connecting elements 12, to permit the beams to be folded into a compact bundle, and to be unfolded with the links in extended positions, as best illustrated in FIGURE 3, to form a substantially rectangular rigid base frame upon which the floor of the shelter may be removably supported.

Each of the beams 10 may take the form of an elongated rectangular frame made up of channel shaped side portions 1% and end portions 13 formed of suitable material, such as aluminum, and having cross braces 18 suitably connected thereto to form a rigid lattice-like structure.

The upper ones of the side portions 14 of the beams 10, located at each side of the base structure are provided with upwardly extending longitudinal flanges 20, which are cut away at longitudinally spaced intervals to form gaps or notches 22, within which spring clips 24 are extended at their upper ends, the lower ends of the clips being suitably secured to the underlying flange of the channel shaped side portion, in any desired manner, as by means of rivets 26, shown in FIGURE 5. The spring clips 24 are curved at their upper ends for engagement with the edges of floor panels 28, positioned on the webs of the upper side portions 14 of the beams to securely hold the floor panels in position on the base structure, and to permit the floor panels to be readily removed from the base when the shelter is to be dismantled.

At each corner of the base structure, a tubular socket member 30 is pivotally connected to one of the beams 2;, at a location mediate the ends of the socket member,

to permit the socket member to be moved into and out of a vertical position to receive elongated rod-like, suspension elements 32 and 34, which are extended through the socket members, and whose upper ends are formed with hook-shaped portions 36, by which suspension links 38, may be removably connected thereto at each corner of the shelter. The suspension elements 32 and 34 may be secured to the socket members 30 in any desired manner, as by welding or the like. The suspension elements 34 extend downwardly through the sockets 3t) and are provided at their lower ends with laterlaly bent portions 40, extending away from the side of the base structure, and whose outer ends are telescopingly received in tubular extensions 42, whose outer ends are provided with eyes 44, through which suitable securing means, such as nails 46 may be extended to secure the extensions to the trunk of a tree T or other suitable supporting structure from which the shelter is suspended, to securely hold the shelter against swaying movement. An adjustable cross brace 48, having hook-shaped end portions 50, may be provided, which may be hooked over the extension members 42 in position to extend between the members in the erected condition of the shelter to hold the extension members against spreading apart.

At their upper ends, the suspension links 38 are provided with eyes for engagement with hook-shaped portions on the ends of roof support elements 52, having centrally located eyes 54, for the connection thereto of suspension cables or ropes 56, at each end of the roof of the shelter, which suspension cables may be extending upwardly and over a branch B of a tree and downwardly therefrom for attachment at their outer ends to the nails 46, or to other suitable anchoring means whereby the shelter may be suspended from the tree in a substantially horizontal position at'an elevation above the ground.

Suitabie means, such as ropes or the like 58 may be 6 extended horizontally about the shelter, connected to the suspension elements 32 and 34 at suitable locations above the level of the floor panels, to form a fence or railing about the shelter, and to more securely connect together the suspension mechanism.

A suitably shaped cover, formed of canvass, or other flexible fabric is positioned over the framework formed by the base structure and suspension mechanism of the shelter, which cover has a roof portion 60 supported on the roof supports 52, side portions 62, extending downwardly from the roof at each side of the shelter, and front and rear portions extending downwardly from the roof at each end of the shelter, and which may be rolled up, as indicated at 64, to permit access to the interior of the shelter. The side and end portions of the cover may be suitably secured to the base structure at their lower marginal portions, by means of turn buttons or the like, not shown, or in any other convenient manner, to permit the cover to be readily removed when the shelter is to be dismantled.

It will be apparent that by folding the connecting links 12 inwardly of the base structure the beams may be moved into contact with each other to form a compact bundle, the socket members 30 being rotated to their horizontal positions as illustrated in dotted lines in FIG- URE 4, to position the suspension elements 32 and 34 in parallel relation to the beams, the portions 40 of the suspesion elements 34 being positioned across the ends of the beams in this condition of the equipment, and the tubular extensions 42 being removed from the portions 40 and placed in the bundle, together with the crossbrace 48, the suspension links 38 and the roof supports 52.

The floor panels 28 may be formed of any suitable material, such as plywood, sheet aluminum, or other light weight material having the requisite physical properties, and these panels are of a size such that they may be readily fitted between the flanges 20, with their edges in engagement with the spring clips 24 to releasably hold the panels in position on the base structure.

The equipment may also include suitable means such as an extension ladder 70, formed of light weight material, which may be included in the compact bundle and which may be used to permit ready access to the shelter when the same is in its erected and suspended condition.

It will thus be seen that the invention, constructed and arranged as described above, provides a portable shelter which may be folded into a very compact bundle for easy transportation, and which is easily erected and suspeded in a position to serve as a convenient vantage point for observing game or for other purposes where ever a portable shelter of sturdy construction and light weight is desirable.

The invention is disclosed herein in connection with a certain specific embodiment of the same, but it will be understood that this is intended by way of illustration only, and that various changes can be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a hunters shelter adapted to be suspended from an overhead support, a plurality of elongated beams, link means connected to and connecting the beams together for movement into and out of spaced apart positions to form with the link means a generally rectangular frame, fioor panels shaped to be removably supported on the frame, means on the beams positioned for engagement with the floor panels to hold the beams in said spaced apart positions, suspension elements connected to the corners of the frame and extending upwardly therefrom, cross members connected to the upper ends of the elements in position to hold the upper ends of the elements in spaced apart relation and means for connecting the cross members to an overhead support to support the frame in an elevated position.

2. In a hunters shelter adapted to be suspended from an overhead support, a plurality of elongated beams, link means connected to and connecting the beams together for movement into and out of spaced apart positions to form with the link means a generally rectangular frame, floor panels shaped to be removably supported on the frame, means on the beams positioned for engagement with the panels to hold the beams in said spaced apart positions, suspension elements connected to the corners of the frame and extending upwardly therefrom, cross members connected to the upper ends of the elements in position to hold the upper ends of the elements in spaced apart relation, means for connecting the cross members to an overhead support to support the frame in an elevated position and a cover formed of fabric extending over and supported on said cross members and extending downwardly at each side of the frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,411,272 Eaton Apr. 4, 1922 1,608,242 Sava Nov. 23, 1926 1,847,891 Otto Mar. 1, 1932 1,900,274 Brockie Mar. 7, 1933 1,943,871 Landberg Jan. 16, 1934 2,599,670 Thomas June 10, 1952 

